Montreal, April 12, 2023 – Quasar saxophone quartet continues its series of collaborations celebrating the richness of international encounters and exchanges with Montréal-Mexico, a concert entirely devoted to premieres, with four works commissioned from two Canadian composers and two Mexican composers, co-presented with Le Vivier.

Following Québec-Pays-Basque (2021), Montréal-Hanovre (2022) and Dialogues Intercontinentaux (2023), Quasar is now developing a conversation between Quebec and Mexican music creators. Last January, Quasar and the four composers held a creation residency which allowed them to explore, create and approach composition for saxophone quartet in an innovative and personal way.

Geneviève Ackerman, originally from Quebec, was inspired by her repertoire of multiple sounds of Quasar (QPhonics) to compose Générosité par l’éphémère, a work highlighting the multi-phonic sounds that unfold in space by being replayed in different materials, such as cardboard and metal (tam-tams, gongs, etc.), for example. The Mexican composer Eduardo Caballero expresses his interest in pulses in all their variations in Puls[o][e]… spectral theater of reflections: “stable pulses of timbre/harmonic spectrum, unstable pulsations; airy pulsations, pulsations like drops of water; beat polyphony; homophony of pulses”. Sophie Dupuis, a native of New Brunswick, looked at the concepts of beats and quarter tones with a particular image in mind: the bouncing ball, an image found several times in her work Rebonds cosmiques. Finally, Mexican composer Alejandro Padilla, whose work process always begins with an abstract sketch guiding the writing of a piece, offers Fragments, pieces, breaks, a work he defines as nervous, fragmented and capricious.

Montreal-Mexico is, above all, a generous and fraternal encounter that has generated astonishing creations, both poetic and powerful. A necessary dialogue

– Marie-Chantal Leclair, Artistic Director of Quasar

Montréal-Mexico will be presented one evening only: April 30th at 7:30 pm in the Espace Orange of the Wilder Building, in partnership with Le Vivier and with the precious collaboration of the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey. The exchange will then continue in a series of concerts to be held in Mexico in May 2023.

Montréal-Mexico
Sunday, April 30th , 7:30pm
Wilder Building – Espace Orange
Tickets from $20.00 on sale here: levivier.ca

PROGRAMME

Geneviève Ackerman
Générosité par l’éphémère (2023) – Premiere
For saxophone quartet, 4 large tam-tam drums, objects and transducers
Commissioned by Quasar

Eduardo Caballero
Puls[o][e]… spectral theater of reflections (2023) – Premiere
For saxophone quartet
Co-commissioned by Quasar and Patronato ESMDM

Sophie Dupuis
Rebonds cosmiques (2023) – Premiere
For saxophone quartet
Commissioned by Quasar

Alejandro Padilla
Fragments, pieces, breaks (2023) – Premiere
For saxophone quartet
Co-commissioned by Quasar and Patronato ESMDM

Contact

Roxanne Gallant
Communications coordinator – Quasar saxophone quartet
roxanne@quasar4.com | 1.418.732.2413

The musicians of Quasar are available for press, radio and television interviews.